Witch Hunt
by Night In Girl
Summary: Wash off those scabs, dear, or fingernail pick them clean. Pray to all your long lost demons, and justify your means." (Raven x Terra, AU, Chapter Three)
1. Chapter One

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Witch Hunt

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Disclaimer: Oh, shut up. Like you really think I own anything. But still, I really don't own TT, and the summary is a line from a song by Jack off Jill, as are most of the chapter titles.

Pairing (s): Raven x Terra

Rating: R

Summary: Wash off those scabs, dear, or fingernail pick them clean. Pray to all your long lost demons, and justify your means. (Raven x Terra, AU)

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Author Notes: After finding TONS of Beast boy x Terra stories, and just as many Beast Boy x Raven ones, but so few Raven x Terra ones, I decided, what the heck? So, here it is. And it's not a one-shot! Gasp!

Also, don't flame this simply because you don't like the pairing. I'll write whatever I want, with what ever pairings I want. Constructive criticism is welcome, though.

XXX

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Chapter One: Devil Has A New Shape

XXX

"And remember, Tara--"

"I know, Father," the teen called, careful to keep her voice as respectful as possible. Her father emerged from the other room to find her already half-way through the door, eyes narrowed and she quickly added, "I'll stay out of the forest."

"Precisely," said Slade, a frown upon his face. "I'll be damned if I have about twenty people coming to my house every day, attempting to 'console' me after the death of my daughter--"

She nodded, though she was looking outside, eager to run out and play with the other children. Fifteen years old, and she rarely ever left the house… only recently had she found friends that she actually enjoyed meeting up with. Her eyes glazed at the thought of running about with them, laughing and frolicking in a way that she had seen other children do, and envied them. Now, she had nothing to envy, for she was just like them.

She felt a tight grip on her hair as someone yanked her back, whirling her around. She cried out and gasped, finding her father standing over her, with a slightly peeved look.

"Are you listening to me?" He asked, voice threatening and she hurriedly nodded.

"Yes, Father," she said quickly. "I was. I promise to stay out of the forest."

"Don't go anywhere **near** the forest," he hissed. "The witch can get you even if you're standing in front of it."

Tara squeaked in fear at the thought, and nodded again. "Yes, Father! I'll stay as far away from the forest. I promise."

"Good." He released her and she rubbed the sore spot on her head as he turned away. "You can go now. Be home before night fall, understood?" When he got no response, he turned to find his daughter gone, and the door already closed.

XXX

"Hey, Tara!"

She grinned and ran over to her friends, waving enthusiastically. "Hi, guys! Sorry I'm late!" She stopped in front of them, panting lightly, and her grin widened. "So, what's up? What are we doing?"

Robin, the son of one of the most respected men in the village, Bruce, smiled. He was a good-looking boy, with black hair and soft, brown eyes; well-muscled for someone his age and strong. He was also the second oldest of their group. Full of curiosity and a thirst for adventure, he was a natural leader and where ever he led, they followed. However, he was also very arrogant and full of pride, which often led to fights between him, his father, and usually, other children.

Then, there was Estab, who they called 'BB'. For what reason, none of them remembered. He was an easily excited boy, and a joker, always trying to lighten the mood. Tara had grown extremely fond of him in her little time of knowing him, and was happy to say that they were the best of friends. Estab was the kind of boy you called 'cute', with dark, shaggy hair and bright, green eyes, always smiling a wide, toothy smile that made you want to smile as well.

And finally, Victor, the oldest of the group. He was a glutton for challenges, and, like Robin, always strove to win. He was very intelligent compared to most of the boys who lived in the village and was known for his warmth and love of fun. Brown-skinned, dark-eyed and athletic, he was almost as admired by the girls of the village as Robin was.

And there was Tara, the only girl in the group, an outcast because she acted like a tomboy and envied because she got to hang out with three of the "coolest" guys around. Her mother had always scolded her when she'd been alive, trying to get her to take regular baths and stop rolling around in the mud with boys, but she'd paid the suggestions no mind. If anything, she was even worse than she had been then, and proud.

…how she missed her mother…

"Hi, Tara!" Estab exclaimed before Robin could speak, clinging to the blonde with a faint blush on his tanned cheeks. "We have something awesome planned for today! You're gonna love it too, I promise, okay?"

"Yeah," Victor chimed, a wide grin upon his face. "Go on, Robin, tell'er."

Robin grinned as well and pointed a finger in a certain direction. Tara frowned and followed the direction of his finger, her mouth dropping open when she saw just where he was pointing and what he was pointing at.

The forest.

"…oh." She paused and slowly pried herself away from Estab, smiling weakly. "The… forest?"

"Yup," Robin said, sounding pleased. Obviously, the idea had been his. "What better place to look for adventure?"

"But… guys…" She paused, glancing around nervously. Her eyes sunk to the ground. "I… can't go into the forest. I'm not allowed to--"

"Neither are we," Victor said with a shrug. "But not being allowed had never stopped us before. C'mon, Tara, it'll be fun!"

"Yeah!" Estab cried, pumping his fist into the air. "I ain't scared of no witch!"

"Ha! Let's see if you're still sayin' that once she's turned you into a frog!"

"Shut up, Vic!"

"Don't worry, Tara," Robin assured the younger girl, placing a hand on her shoulder. "Nothing will happen to you. We'll make sure."

She looked a bit hesitant, blue eyes dropping to the ground in thought. Her father's words rung in her ears, warnings from the present and the past… reminders of how her mother had disappeared in that very same forest, and how her body had never been found. But when she looked at her friends, the only friends she had ever had, and their pleading expressions, she could not say no…

"…okay."

XXX

"I LIKE RAAAAINBOWS! LEAFY TRAAAILS! AND PUPPY DOOOGS! WITH BUMBLE BEEES!"

Tara winced as Estab sang, his voice ridiculously off-tune, and as Victor smacked the smaller boy upside his head, causing him to stumble back. The younger of the two quickly shoved back, though it had little effect, and Victor smirked.

"Keep it down, you two," Robin warned as they walked further into the forest. "We don't want to draw too much attention from anyone or anything that might be out here."

"Yes, sir!" They said in unison and immediately quieted down.

Tara sighed softly, admiring her surroundings. Never had she ever seen anything so beautiful… the forest was a beautiful mixture of lush green and deep brown, with soft light shining in through the large trees, and prism-like rainbows splashing across the forest floor. She admired all of the wild-life, beautiful flowers that she had never seen before and butterflies of all different colors. Her breath caught in her throat. Why would anyone fear such a wonderful place?

"Hey," Victor murmured, pointing towards a tree. "What was that? Something moved."

"I didn't see anything," Estab mumbled, and followed as Robin cautiously moved forward.

The reached the tree and examined it, but found nothing, though Tara's fears still began to rise. She heard a soft shuffling of leaves and whirled around, but saw nothing, only forest. She trembled and turned back around to face her friends.

"Guys," she called softly and they looked at her. "I don't want to stay here… I'm seriously scared. Can we go?"

"Well, if you're scared--" Estab started, worried, but Robin cut him off.

"It's okay, Tara. You're safe. We won't let anything happen, right, guys?" He looked at Estab who nodded hesitantly and then at Victor, only to find that the older boy was staring off at something eyes wide. "Vic? What is it--"

His mouth fell open, eyes widening and Estab quickly followed suit. Tara frowned and moved to get a better look before her eyes widened as well, a look of horror passing over her already fearful features.

There, standing by a tree not far from them, was the same person she had seen in paintings illustrating the end of the world; the face she had heard about in stories that had given her nightmares. A girl, who looked to be about a few years older than them, with short, dark hair and large, amethyst eyes that held a distant, forlorn look. She was pale-skinned, wearing a midnight blue cloak, and had a blank, almost bored expression upon her pretty features. But no matter how innocent she looked, they all knew just who she was. The fact that she was floating made it even more obvious.

The witch.

"IT'S HER!" Estab wailed and whirled around, breaking into a run. Victor quickly followed.

Robin stood his ground, staring at the mysterious girl before him. Tara, however, simply could not move, to frightened to. The witch shifted around a bit, staring at them with a haunting gaze. Suddenly, her eyes began to glow, her lips moving, forming some kind of incantation.

"Azarath, metri…"

Robin's eyes widened. "RUN!"

He turned on his heel and bolted off, Tara snapping out of her daze and hurrying after him, stumbling slightly. They rushed through the forest, the once beautiful scenery suddenly filling her with fear. She lost sight of Robin, eyes wide, and began to scream out his name, attempting to push her way through the green bushes and vines.

"Robin!" She cried. "Estab! Victor! Guys, where are you?!"

She received no response and looked over her shoulder to see if anyone was following her. She saw no one, but did not stop running, and tripped over something on the ground. Her foot twisted around with a sickening _crsch_ and she screamed, falling to the ground and wincing in pain. She looked down at her foot, gritting her teeth, and saw that it was twisted in an awkward position. Fear gripped her and she struggled to stand, but failed.

"Help me!!" She screamed. "Someone, please! I can't walk!!"

Her cries went unanswered other than by the soft shuffling of leaves. She craned her neck to look behind her, her eyes widening even more as she saw the witch coming towards her, expression blank. She screamed again and fought to stand, but fell again, her head hitting the soft ground. She sobbed, the dirt clinging to her blonde hair and she could feel the witch looming over her.

She looked up hesitantly, blue eyes meeting amethyst ones, and the tears began to fall. She looked away as the witch's eyes began to glow and she began to chant, the pain in her ankle and head over-powering any thought she could have had.

"Azarath, Metrion, Xin--"

She blacked out.

XXX

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Short, I know. The next chapter will be much better, I promise. Blargh.


	2. Chapter Two

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Author Notes: Well, here's the second chapter. Thanks to everyone who left reviews. Make me feel all warm and fuzzy inside

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Chapter Two: Premonition

When she awoke, she felt better than she had in a while. She was warm, and comfortable, the smell of freshly baked cookies filling her nostrils. She smiled faintly, snuggling deeper into the warmth that she was laying up, pulling whatever it was that was covering her up to her face. It smelled clean, like soap and fresh spring water. She sighed softly, and continued to lay there for a moment before she heard a soft _clink_ as if someone was setting a glass down. Curious, she opened her eyes after a few minutes slowly, with surprisingly little difficulty.

Her gaze was met by a small pile of cookies on a small table, a glass of milk sitting close by. Blinking, she sat up slowly, still staring at the cookies before observing her surroundings. She was not in her home, that was for sure. The house that she was in was smaller and cozier, with a distinct feeling of homeliness. It was neither hot, nor cold, but just the right temperature and smelled of cookies and cinnamon. She smiled, and looked back down at the cookies, reaching out for one before stopping, her fingertips lingering over one.

_Wait,_ she thought, frowning. _I don't even know where I am! I'm not just going to eat one of these things! They might be poisoned or something or bewitched--_

Bewitched…

The witch!

She looked around wildly for a moment before her gaze snapped down to her leg, which was covered by the blanket. She snatched it away, only then realizing that she was naked, save the soft, blue robe that she was wearing. She blushed, before focusing on her leg, shocked to see that her foot had been twisted back around somehow, and that there was a clean, fresh bandage upon her ankle. She reached out and touched it, expecting a sudden surge of pain. There was none, just a faint pinch-like feeling, and she relaxed, looking around again.

Had the witch brought her here? But why? She remembered, though vaguely, the witch with glowing eyes, about to cast a spell on her. Should she not be dead, or cursed instead of in a warm house with fresh cookies and milk in front of her, her wound well-tended to?

She looked up as she heard a door open, and a girl, who looked to be a bit older than her, floated in. It was not the witch, but another girl. She was a pretty girl, with long, red hair that flowed down her bag angelically. Her eyes were a shining green, and she was dressed in expensive looking garments, a serene smile upon her face. When the girl saw that Tara was awake, she gasped and dropped what looked like napkins, her smile becoming a grin.

"You have awakened!" She exclaimed, flying over and seating herself upon the bed. Tara stared at her, wide-eyed and fearful, attempting to move away. The girl smiled. "There is no need to be frightened; I will bring you no harm! I am so fond of children!"

She lunged forward and grabbed Tara, yanking the smaller girl to her and hugging her. The blonde gasped, but did not move and allowed the red head to hug her and stoke her hair affectionately. Finally, the woman pulled away, a wide smile playing at her lips.

"I am Koriand'r," She said, nodding happily. "The loyal assistant and best friend of the great sorceress, Metrion!" She appeared to be quite proud of this and tenderly touched Tara's face, her eyes gentle. "And what is your name, child?"

"T--Tara," she stuttered. "It's… uh… a pleasure to meet you…"

"As it is for me, Tara!" Koriand'r cried, hugging the smaller girl once again. She then pulled and looked down at the girl's ankle, worry forming upon her face. "Your injury… it is feeling better, I hope?"

"Oh! Uh, yeah," Tara said, laughing weakly. "It's fine… thanks for fixing it. And thanks for saving me too, I really appreciate it."

Koriand'r blinked at her. "But, Tara, I did not heal your injury. Nor did I save you."

Tara frowned. "You… didn't? Then who did?"

"Metrion, of course! You fell and twisted your ankle, and then you passed out, so friend Metrion healed your wound and brought you here!"

"Metrion…? You mean… the… the witch?!"

"Sorceress," Koriand'r corrected, her smile still in place. "Yes, friend Metrion saved you. Had she left you, for sure, something bad may have happened." She lowered her eyes at the thought before brightening up again, waving a hand towards the milk and cookies. "However, while I could not save you, I have attempted to aid you in your possible hunger."

As if on cue, Tara's stomach growled, causing her to blush. Koriand'r smile widened.

"So my assumption was correct! Please, help yourself to the milk and cookies. I hope that they are to your liking, as I am not familiar with feeding children."

Tara paused, hesitant, but then turned to the cookies and reached out, picking one up. She held it to her lips and slowly opened her mouth, taking a bite. She chewed slowly, her tongue searching for any odd taste, anything that could be poison, but there was nothing. There was only the taste of a warm, soft cookie and she smiled, taking another bite, savoring the rich taste. Koriand'r's eyes lit up.

"They are satisfactory?" She asked, sounding hopeful.

"Mmhmm!" hummed Tara as she finished the cookie, reaching for another. Koriand'r squealed in delight.

"Joyous!" Koriand'r cried. "I shall go prepare more!"

With that, the girl floated off of the bed and out of the room to make more cookies and Tara watched her go with a smile. _She seems really nice,_ she thought, picking up another cookie and eating it greedily before seizing the milk and gulping some down. Licking her lips, she sighed and went back to laying down on the bed, on her side this time, casually chewing on the cookies. _How ironic,_ she thought as she took another sip of her milk. _I go into the forest everyone warns me about, see the very thing everyone's so afraid up and end up in a nice house with milk and cookies… huh… weird._

Sighing, she rested her head on the soft pillow and closed her eyes. The warmth of the room was extremely soothing, and she could faintly hear Koriand'r singing in another part of the house. It was a soothing song, and seemed to be in another language. She smiled faintly, a sudden sleepiness pulling at her eyelids. Snuggling deeper into the bed, she fell asleep.

XXX

_'Azarath…'_

Everything was so dark…

She looked around, confused and frightened, without a single clue of where she was. Everything was black, and dark… as it was in the dreams she had of her mother's death, and her father's angry fist. She ran towards nothing, feeling around for something to guide her. Her hands met nothing but thin air, and the fear gripping at her increased. She attempted to call out for help, but her voice would not come out, and she stopped in her tracks, horrified.

She could hear a heartbeat… but it was not her own. She looked around, trying to distinguish where the sound was coming from, but it seemed to be coming at her from all directions. Trembling, she hugged herself, taking a few steps back.

'Metrion…'

She sunk to her knees, images flashing before her eyes. Her mother's smile, her father's rage, Estab waving, Robin running, Victor laughing… It all flickered before her eyes so quickly that she barely noticed, and yet, it was completely obvious to her.

She could hear footsteps, and looked around to see where they were coming from, but only saw darkness. It was becoming colder now and she tried, in vain, to heat herself by rubbing her arms. It did no good. In fact, it only seemed to make her colder.

She lay on the ground, closing her eyes and shivering in the cold. The footsteps stopped abruptly, somewhere near her, and she felt someone touch her face.

Their fingers were freezing.

'Xinthos…!'

XXX

She jerked awake, panting, sweat dripping down her forehead. Her eyes immediately landed on the form which stood next to the bed; a midnight blue robed form, with forlorn eyes and an apathetic expression. Gasping out, she scurried away, her back pressing up against the head-board of the bed. The witch narrowed her eyes, looking almost bored.

"You…!" Tara rasped, strands of her blonde hair falling into her face, half-way obscuring her vision. "Witch!"

Something flickered in the witch's dark eyes and her lips formed a slight frown. Before Tara could think, the witch uttered an incantation and she found herself laying on the bed, unable to move. The witch stood over her menacingly, eyes narrowed. Had her expression not been so blank, Tara would have had an easier time discovering that the witch was peeved.

"Watch your tongue," the witch hissed. "You shall address me with proper respect. _Les enfants devraient rester dans la place d'un enfant_."

"Huh?" Tara said dumbly, blinking at the witch's use of what she figured was French, and that was assumed loosely. She'd only known one French man, and meeting him had been pure luck.

"You shall address me as Lady Raven," the witch said, ignoring the girl's confusion. "Only those worthy may use my real name. **No one** may call me 'witch'."

The word 'witch' was spat out with more disgust than Tara had though possible, and the blonde frowned, once again confused.

"Bu… but, aren't you a witch…?"

'Raven' laughed; a cold, dry laugh that made the hairs on the ends of her neck stand on end. "I am a sorceress," she hissed, her laugh stopping abruptly. "I do magic -- clean, pure magic, unless there is too much against me. The people of your village, however, are too ignorant to understand this. So they call me a witch, degrade me and my name, because they lack the intelligence to understand."

Suddenly angry, Tara huffed, "Clean and pure?! What about all the people you've taken?!"

_The children, the adults… my mother!_

"I've taken no one," said 'Raven', voice cold. "What use have I for your worthless villagers? I am not a violent person. The opposite, actually; I detest violence. The disappearances and the death of your mother are not my doing."

Tara gasped.

"How… how did you--"

"Friend Metrion," called a cheerful voice, and Koriand'r entered the room, smiling widely. In her hands was a transparent vial which contained an indigo colored concoction. "I have prepared the potion as you have instructed!"

_Metrion,_ Tara thought, watching as 'Raven' took the vial and thanked Koriand'r. _That's right… that's her actual name…_

"Be still," said Metrion as she carefully un-did the bandages on Tara's leg. Once she was done, she poured the concoction upon the blonde's ankle, murmuring another incantation, and Tara was surprised to find that not only did she not feel it upon her ankle… it also did not leave a stain on the bed.

The dark circle on her ankle disappeared and Metrion took the bandages, balling them up and , with a few simple words, caused them to burst into flame and dissapear. She turned away then and floated off, glancing over her shoulder before she started into another room.

"You can leave now," she said. "…and know this… This forest is dangerous… and I am certainly not all peaches and cream myself. While my magic is pure, and I would never kill a child, I am not one to test. You are **not** welcome here… not my me… or by them…" She did not explain who 'them' were and before Tara could ask, she went on. "So I suggest you take this to heart… turn your head, run, and **never** look back."

Without another word, she turned away and floated into another room, the door closing behind her. Tara watched her go and, after saying her goodbyes and thank yous to Koriand'r, left just as silently as Metrion had.

XXX

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Poopy Penguin : 'Estab' is simply 'beast' with the letters switched around. I was too lazy to think of something better. XP


	3. NOTICE

Let me start off by saying, I'm sorry for the lack of updates. I've been very busy, but things have toned down, even if only a bit. Expect another update either tomorrow or the day after.

This is simply to let you all know that you shouldn't expect a lot of updates very often. Once a week, once every two weeks... who knows? I can only update this story when I feel up to it. If there's no feeling, there's no story, and for the past while, I've had no feeling.

Chapter 3 is in progress, though, so don't worry. ;D I hope I haven't lost too many readers (though I probably have).

This is Night In Girl, signing off!


	4. Chapter Three

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Author Notes: Ha! I win!

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Poopy Penguin: I'll be sure to read it when I get off my lazy butt and stop the procrastination train.

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**_MysticSistaKitsune_**_, I could, and maybe would, but the summary, though lyrics, will eventually be a direct quote from Metrion. So I won't. Sorry._

Enjoy!

Chapter Three: Run For The Shadows

"Oh, my gosh, Tara," Estab exclaimed when he saw her, gripping her shoulders and pulling her into a hug. "You're alive! We thought you were dead!"

"What did the witch do to you?" Victor asked, eyes wide with excitement. "Are you okay? Did she cast a spell on you? What happened?"

"Is it true what the stories say?" Robin piped in. "Can she really become a giant raven? Is she really as cold as ice? Does she really have fangs and all that stuff that they say?"

The questions were never-ending and she fought to answer them all best she could, blushing in embarrassment. They were expecting an amazing story of her escaping an evil, all-powerful witch and all she had to tell them was she had eaten cookies and met a pretty red-head with a bouncy personality. She eventually managed to sit down and get them quiet, smiling smugly, as if the story was something to be told for years. And she made it into that. They were the best friends she had ever had, after all. She could not fail to impress.

"She was so scary," Tara said, eyes wide. "Her skin was as white as snow, and she had fangs like the stories said, only they were bigger! They were huge, like some kind of super-wolf! And she was looming over me, and her breath was like… it was freezing! Her hands, they were like claws that could slice through anything and she had this… this dark… aura or something, that just glowed and the ground felt like it was shaking!"

"Weren't you **scared**?" Estab asked, looking astounded.

"Of course I was scared! She was going to cast a spell on me!"

"What happened?" Asked Robin, eager to hear the rest of the story.

"Like I said, she was going to cast a spell on me… but then this woman came…" She paused, deciding it was best to add Koriand'r in the story if she was to get away with it being true. "She was a **beautiful** woman, with long, flaming red hair and eyes as green those grass fields outside our village! She was flying, you guys, **flying**! And she came up and she said--" She raised her voice louder to sound braver. "-- "Leave that girl alone, witch!". And she and the witch fought! And she won!"

"What was her name?" Victor asked, looking absolutely shocked.

"Koriand'r," said Tara happily. "And then the witch floated off and Koriand'r came to me and said, "Child, you are safe now". And she healed the wound on my ankle and sent me back here!"

"Wow," the three boys said in unison and Tara mentally patted herself on the back for a job well-done.

"Now if you guys will excuse me," she said, standing, "I've gotta get home."

And she left.

XXX

"Friend Metrion," Koriand'r's sing-song voice echoed through the small cottage as she floated through it, glancing about curiously. "Friend Metrion? I seek your companionship!"

She landed before the sorceress' room, smiling at the warm, magical aura that radiated from the door. Carefully, silently, she opened the door and slipped inside to find Metrion sitting Indian-style on the floor, surrounded by candles, and chanting. This was normal for the sorceress, and she casually walked over, standing just outside of the circle of light that surrounded her friend, waiting patiently.

"What?" Asked Metrion, opening a single, dark eye, though the red headed girl was standing behind her and out of her line of sight.

"What do you think has become of Friend Tara?" Koriand'r asked innocently, green eyes gleaming at the blonde girl's name. "I hope that she reached the outside of the forest safely."

The dark haired witch closed her eye again, lips forming a grim line upon her pale face. "She will return."

At this, Koriand'r looked overjoyed. "Truly? You have predicted her return?"

"I have," said Metrion, voice flat. "And it is nothing to be happy about. The girl offers us nothing but trouble, and a possible revealing of what needs to be kept hidden."

"I do not understand," the red head murmured, floating up and over to her companion's side. "Metrion… what is it exactly that you have predicted?"

"The cause of what the villagers blame me for, my privacy, a world that they are not ready for… it will all be brought out into the open. I will not allow that to happen."

"What will you do?"

"I will take her to the Hive."

Green eyes widened before anger spread across Koriand'r pretty features. "No!" She exclaimed, floating upwards, looming over the pale-skinned other. "I cannot permit you to do such a thing to someone such as Tara! She is my friend and--"

"I will take her to the Hive," Metrion repeated, voice firm. She did not open her eyes, and stayed in her current position, seeming to be unaffected. At this response, Koriand'r faltered and landed, taking a seat upon the ground miserably.

"Please," she said, voice soft. "Cannot I take care of Tara? I will assure you that she will cause you no grief--"

"I shall take my chances with the Hive," spat Metrion venomously, opening her eyes, glaring at the other girl out of the corner of her vision.

A pause, and Koriand'r spoke again. "Have you had any visions of Tara's home life? Any reason for her to return?"

"Her father beats her, her friends think she's something she's not, she's very weak mentally…" The witch's voice was bored, and she closed her eyes again, lazily shrugging her shoulders. "Nothing important. Nothing that the Hive cannot make her forget."

"Make her forget with pain," said Koriand'r, her own voice shaky. "Make her forget with sorrow. Make her forget like they made **you** forget."

The bottomless amethyst opened again, narrowing in anger as Metrion regarded the other girl with a cold gaze. Koriand'r met the gaze with her own steady, pain filled one.

"The Hive is not the source, or the answer of the problems. Not the villagers' problems, not your problems, and not Tara's. If you are so afraid of your vision, then you should find the answer elsewhere, for I will not allow Tara to suffer the pain that you suffered. And it hurts me to know that you, Friend Metrion, **would**."

She stood then, and left the room without another word. Metrion watched her go silently, before closing her eyes again and resuming her meditation.

"Azarath… Metrion…"

_"Father, no, I didn't--"_

A scream. A sharp pain in her ribs.

Her eyes snapped open.

XXX

She winced, sinking to the floor with a choked sob. She faintly heard her father's footsteps and the closing of the door when he went out, though it hardly registered in her mind. She clutched her sides, groaning softly at the pain that racked through her body.

She had bruises all over, she knew.

Robin had told his father of her 'adventure' in the forest, and his father had told her father. Of course, she'd had no good explanation, and things had gone as they always went. A severe beating, him leaving, her on the floor with the coppery taste of blood in her mouth.

She raised a hand to touch the top of her head which pulsated with pain, feeling something wet there. She brought the hand back to her face, finding her fingertips stained with crimson, and she almost laughed. Her eyes traveled to the window, where it showed the dark night, the silvery moon bathing her room in a pale light. She closed her eyes, as if the light could take away her pain, and purify her somehow.

She wanted so badly to get away… So badly to go somewhere else.

"S_o I suggest you take this to heart… turn your head, run, and **never** look back."_

But what if she wanted to look back?

Raising herself to her feet with much difficulty, she limped over to her window, slipping out as stealthily as she could. Once outside, she glanced around to see if anyone was watching, but the village was deserted, it's people sleeping comfortably in their homes. She took a deep breath.

As quickly as she could, she started towards the forest.


End file.
